Turn Basic Clothespins Into Cute, Personalized Bag Clips With This Easy DIY

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While wooden clothespins are practical items for hanging laundry or photos, what if you could make them cuter and more convenient? Luckily, with bit of glue, you can repurpose your decorative napkins to transform your clothespins into stylish magnetic bag clips. You can also use wrapping paper, washi tape, or any patterned tissue paper you have in stock to get the exact look you want. Once you're done, you'll no longer need to store your clothespins in a container, because the magnet you'll attach will allow them to simply stick onto your fridge or other surfaces if you've installed a top-to-bottom stainless steel kitchen — though note that not all stainless steel is magnetic.

For this project, it's best to work with 2- to 3-inch wooden clothespins so there's enough space to stick the magnet onto. In case you don't have any already, you can get a pack of 50 Jabinco Large Wooden Clothespins for about $7. To get the napkins to stick, you'll need an adhesive that won't destroy the paper during the application process, such as Aleene's Tack-It Over & Over or Gorilla Wood Glue. You also need a ½-inch-wide roll magnetic tape, like the $12 Labphant Magnetic Tape. In addition to these supplies, have a paintbrush and a pair of scissors ready to help you with gluing and cutting.

To do this viral napkin DIY decor project, you'll need to separate out the top ply with the printed pattern, whether you're using new paper napkins or raiding your existing stock. Work on all the napkins in one go, as this step may take some time. Luckily, there's a hack to do this easily. Simply apply a glue stick on your thumb and index finger, wait until the glue feels tacky, and then use your sticky fingers to gently pull off the first layer of ply.

After that step, apply glue to the flat, front side of one of the clothespins, then immediately stick this side onto the patterned paper. Once the wood has adhered well to the paper, cut and trim off any overhang around the edges and smooth out any wrinkles or air bubbles from the surface. Repeat this step with as many clothespins as you need to make the most out of one sheet of paper.

Next, cut a strip from the magnetic tape that's slightly thinner and shorter than the dimensions of the back of your clothespins and attach it to that side. If you want a stronger magnet that can hold a bag of chips while staying stuck to a metal surface, consider using Neodymium Disc Magnets, as they have a stronger magnetic field than other types of magnets. You can use wood glue to attach the disc to the clips and let it dry overnight before use. Once you're done, you can keep your bag clips organized and within easy reach by sticking them to the fridge.